Fears of losing their businesses to intensifying competition from Chinese nationals have driven traders at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex to stage a peaceful protest against what they described as the growing takeover of retail trading by foreign operators.
The traders, who protested at markets within the Trade Fair Complex along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, alleged that Chinese nationals who initially came into the country as wholesalers were increasingly moving into direct retail sales, bringing them into competition with local traders.
Carrying placards with messages including “Chinese must go” and “They should go far from our market environment and not be taking our customers,” the protesters called for measures to protect Nigerian-owned businesses.
One of the traders, speaking in a video from the protest, said the concern was not about hostility towards Chinese nationals but what he described as their increasing dominance of the local retail market.
According to him, Chinese businesses have expanded from wholesale operations into retailing, with some allegedly acquiring shops and warehouses and selling directly to consumers who traditionally bought from Nigerian traders.
He further alleged that the foreign traders’ direct access to goods from China gives them a pricing advantage over local retailers, making it difficult for Nigerian traders who depend on the same supply chain to retain their customers.
The trader also alleged that some Chinese vendors obtain customers’ contact details from waybills sent by Nigerian traders and subsequently approach those customers directly, a practice he said was further worsening competition in the market.
While expressing concern about the future of local businesses, he warned that continued expansion of Chinese retail operations could leave many Nigerian traders without viable businesses within the next five years.
He, however, stressed that the protest was peaceful and that the demonstrators were not seeking violence against Chinese nationals or destruction of their shops, warehouses or other property.
The traders also acknowledged the importance of Nigeria’s economic relationship with China, but insisted that such ties should not come at the expense of Nigerian entrepreneurs operating in their own markets.
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